Chad Fike gave credit where credit is due — to his horses. The leader in the aggregate standings at the 2024 Cowboys Rangeland Derby has relied on two outfits to put him into first place. “I’ve got a barn full of beautiful horses in there,” said Fike, who had a cumulative time 4:47.
65 through four nights of racing to lead Jamie Laboucane by 1.63 seconds. “They try their butts off for me every night.
They’re beautiful athletes and they deserve all the credit. I’m just grateful to own the horses.” Aboard his Summit Fleet/Shaw GMC Chevrolet Buick wagon on Monday, Fike raced around the Stampede Park track in a time of 1:12.
30 to win the ninth heat. “I had a couple veterans on there,” said the 38-year-old reinsman from Cremona, Alta. “There was an Equine Award winner — he’s been a champion right wheeler on the WPCA (World Professional Chuckwagon Association) the last two years — Rocco, and then Legend on the right lead with Cowboy on the left lead.
Then a rookie horse that was probably in his, I want to say, fourth or fifth race ever tonight on the left wheel, Holiday. “I’m super proud of ’em. They worked good and we got around there clean.
It wasn’t a super fast time (Monday), but clean was the name of the game.” Fike decided to go with his other outfit of Blue and Blacktop as his left and right leaders on Tuesday, who will be joined by Bro and Rider as his left and right wheelers. “I’ve got two outfits that can run me in the top five pre.
